THE DIVIDENDS OF DISSENT:

How Conflict and Culture Work in Lesbian and Gay Marches on Washington

BUY THIS BOOK: Amazon | Indie Bound | University of Chicago Press

University of Chicago Press, 2008

Marching on Washington is a hallowed tradition of American political protest.

Drawing on extensive archival research, historical data, original photographs, interviews with key activists, and more than one thousand news articles, The Dividends of Dissent offers a thorough analysis–descriptive, historical, political, cultural, and sociological–of these four major marches between 1979 and 2000.

Read a review of my book in the American Journal of Sociology

ENDORSEMENTS

“This exhaustively researched book contributes never before seen detail to the historical record, while contributing to sociological theory in social movements and culture. Ghaziani vividly demonstrates that infighting, which is often seen as an unfortunate distraction to movements, is, in fact, critical. It is through infighting that decisions about identity and strategy are made. Ghaziani treats the specifics of the case with careful attention, understanding that historical detail–who did what, when, where, why, and how–is critical to explaining what a movement means and how it succeeds or fails.”
— Elizabeth Armstrong, University of Michigan
Author of Forging Gay Identities and Paying for the Party

“Scholars and the public alike tend to think of social movements as unitary actors, as in THE civil rights movement, THE women’s movement, etc. The beauty of Ghaziani’s book is to remind us that at least as much conflict happens within a movement as without, and that how this conflict gets resolved powerfully shapes the development of the movement over time. Moreover, as with conflict in general, battles within a movement may well prove beneficial to the long-run health and well-being of the struggle. An altogether welcome and groundbreaking addition to the social movement literature.”
— Doug McAdam, Stanford University
Author of Freedom Summer and Political Process and the Development of Black Insurgency, 1930-1970

“A dazzling accomplishment, both conceptually and substantively. Ghaziani’s rich and meticulously researched work significantly expands our understanding of the history of gay and lesbian activism during a critical period. Using these four previously unstudied cases of mass protest as a means to tell that history is a brilliant idea. Furthermore, these marches provide excellent data for addressing the ongoing debate over whether conflict within social movements is purely detrimental or can have positive consequences.”
—Verta Taylor, University of California, Santa Barbara
Author of Feminist Frontiers, Drag Queens at the 801 Cabaret, and The Marrying Kind? Debating Same-Sex Marriage within the Lesbian and Gay Movement

BUY THIS BOOK: Amazon | Indie Bound | University of Chicago Press